September 09, 2026
Bill Streicher/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Rams will finally get some revenge on the Eagles this season.
The 2026 NFL season begins tomorrow night, so it's time to lay out our predictions on who will be good, who will be bad, who will win the Super Bowl, and which individual players will shine.
Let's start with playoff seeding.
1) Lions: The Lions aren't as good as the Rams or Seahawks (or even the Eagles, in my opinion), but they have the easiest schedule in the NFL and they're going to win a lot of games.
2) Rams: The Rams are the most hyped team in the league, as well they should be after their bold move to trade for Myles Garrett and the subsequent unretirement by Aaron Donald.
3) Eagles: The Eagles are going to be good again. Their outstanding defense gives them a high floor, and although there are questions about the offense there's still a lot of talent on that side of the ball, too.
4) Buccaneers: Whoever wins the NFC South will probably do so with single-digit wins. Again.
5) Seahawks: The reigning champs got worse this offseason, while the Rams got better. Those two teams played some super close games last season, won by the Seahawks, but I think the advantage has tilted toward L.A.
6) Bears: The 2025 Bears were a little like the 2024 Commanders in that they won a lot of crazy games in the final seconds. However, unlike the Commanders, they have enough young talent to sustain success.
7) Vikings: This last spot for me was between the Vikings and Packers. It's really hard for me to throw any real support behind Kyler Murray, but the rest of Minnesota's roster is pretty good.
1) Bills: The Bills get to play the Jets and Dolphins twice each, and I think the Patriots are going to fall off substantially this season.
2) Broncos: Great defense, great offensive line. You can win championships with the combination of those two things, as Eagles fans know.
3) Jaguars: The Jaguars were blistering hot down the stretch last season, before they got some bad breaks in a playoff loss to the Bills.
4) Bengals: The Bengals are going to score a lot of points. They're also going to give up a lot of points.
5) Chargers: Wake me up when Justin Herbert wins a playoff game.
6) Texans: It seems a lot of people have the Texans in the Super Bowl. That's nuts. They have a great defense, but their offensive line sucks and their quarterback hasn't played well under pressure. They'll be in the tourney, but until that offense shows something they're not real Super Bowl contenders.
7) Chiefs: The Chiefs are kind of flying under the radar after a down year in 2025. Patrick Mahomes has to prove he won't be affected by the ACL/LCL he tore in 2025.
In the AFC, the Texans and Chargers are pretenders, as usual. The Bills lose another heartbreaker in the AFC Championship Game, and the Broncos ride their trenches to the Super Bowl.
In the NFC, the Lions choke away the 1 seed, like they did in 2024. The Eagles get by the Bears in the Wild Card round but lose out west to the Rams. The Rams then face the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, again, but this time it's the Rams who are headed to the Super Bowl. The NFC is way better than the AFC these days, in my opinion, and the conference wins its third straight Lombardi Trophy.
1) Jets: They traded away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, and instead of bringing in a real quarterback, they traded a sixth-round pick for Geno Smith and a seventh-round pick. They are very clearly not trying to win in 2026.
2) Cardinals: The Cardinals are simply an unserious franchise.
3) Dolphins: Like the Jets, the Dolphins traded away some of their best players, like Jaylen Waddle and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
4) Commanders: It'll be interesting to see if there are debates about whether the Commanders should draft a quarterback with a high pick if Jayden Daniels has another bad / injury plagued season.
5) Falcons: The Falcons could very well win the awful NFC South. They do have some talent. But they also don't have a quarterback or a defense, and a top 5 pick in the 2027 draft is more likely.
• MVP: Justin Herbert, Chargers: Herbert has put up big numbers during the regular season, and it feels like the national media can't wait to give him an award. But as noted above, wake me up when he wins a playoff game.
• Offensive Player of the Year: Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions: Again, I think the Lions are going to win a lot of games, and Gibbs is going to put up monster numbers as a rusher and receiver.
• Defensive Player of the Year: Will Anderson, Texans: Anderson's best season for sacks is "only" 12, but it feels like he's ready for an explosion this season.
• Protector of the Year: Lane Johnson, Eagles: Johnson has one last great season, and he wins on "lifetime achievement" merit.
• Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jadarian Price, Seahawks: Price has a huge opportunity as the new lead back in Seattle.
• Defensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Downs, Cowboys: Downs could be a great player, and the Cowboys are going to be on national TV quite a bit.
• Coach of the Year: Kellen Moore, Saints: If the Saints are able to win the NFC South, Moore will get some love.
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